The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1887-03-27
SISTER NELL.

1ight, as the light of the single lamp
placed on the table. dispelled enough of
the shadows tosoften and round every an
gle without disclosing the shabbiness of
the furniture, and the thinness of the
much-worn carpet that covered the floor.
II There were a few books on swinging
Shelf over the table, pot of ferns on a
&cude bracket in one corner, of the room,
and some cheap chromos tackled to the
wall
A girl of eighteen, in faded calico
dress, the sleeves of which were rolled up
above her dimpled elbows, was just wiping
her hands on coarse towel, and making
answer to the questions OF pale, then
faced child, with large brown eyes, and
tangled mass of golden curly hair. who
sa., propp d up by pillows, on the bed
! that occupied the corner of the room OPP
! posite that where the ferns were placed.
y Are you tired, sister Nell?"
Il The face of the girl with the towel sud-
4 denly Enlightened, and she laughed mer-
lily.
/ = Tired? Not bit, Essie dear!' she an
|Eswered; see, it is only eight o'clock,
l5pointing to the face of the cheap time
apiece that licked on the mantle, land the
Iaishes are washed, and the room swept
&@lean aud the stove polished, ana have
|ftwo whole hours before me for sewing
ii Must you sew tonight, Nell?" asked
he child on the bed, with a half-sob in
Ter voice.
~ "Why7"
tsBecause-because"- here the sob
TAME to the sUrface-'I wanted YOU to tell
ne aNstory-a real good fairy story, like
she one you told me last night, Your
F&stories are better than any that | read ia
& &he books, and you know so many"
GE AT this open compliment Nell's face
flushed crimson, but she laughed merrily,
Dad seating herself by the BEDSIDE, took
4 $ae thin wasted hand of little Essie in
4Utp her own, and said:
Ez .'Ill tell you short one tonight, Essie,
Sknd then you must go to sleep. Some day,
Then my ship comes in she said this a
little bitterly-''I'II have all the stories
hou like so well printed in big book, full
Hpf the quaintesL pictures you ever saw,
land with crimson and gold covers. and
&R hen I'm away at work you can sit here
Il Fad read them yourself"
# Bat if we're rich, Nell you won't have
10 60 TO work" said Essie, a little sharply.
i Aud Nell, with shrug of her rounded
houlders, langhted again and began:
'sOnce upon a time there lived in great
lack forest an ugly and very wicked
[rge."
And in following the fortunes of the
lave knight who bearded this Orge in his
en- and rescued the imprisoned princess,
ssie's great brown eyes grew bigger with
Wondering admiration: and when at last
! "a olo npAod bonniIU oc afl oh
\, she clapped her hands gleefully and
i back among the pillows with little
n of COM eminent.
n Now you must go to sleep, Essie, "
ID tbe story
ADd she sat by the bedside until the
fFeiing eyelids Of the little girl dropped
2slumber-
& hen stealing softly to the table, she
Ned the lamp, and unlocking the drawer
F Ian old fashioned bureau which stood
Inst the wall, took from its depths
Il Re package of neatly written manuscript,
n ne blank paper, pen and bottle OF
& It will be a great surprise to Essie, .
mu INJURED softly to herself.
q Ind drawing the paper toward her, she
!, pie rapidly, in hand as clear and dis
BIT as Upper plate, until the clock in
church tower just around the corner
led the hour of ten.
4 FL timed myself accurately" she muir
fred half aloud; ''and" measuring
d her eye the pile of manuscript on the
81 e before her-'rhe book is large |
u ugh. Some day I'll get out Volume
IN Now for the illustration. Luckily |
~ bree. quarters of an hour of spare |
u day, when the press broke down, |
u &% piration enough TO dash this off.
nose as she finished speaking. and |
b down her lunch basket from |
~ rIyen in the wall, lifted the cover |
yew out thin package wrapped in |
IA \paper.
1gas4 piece OF bristol board, on which |
II traced, with a bold hand, a picture |
l3M illustrated the story she had tod that
Il to her crippled sister.
REALISTICALLY speaking, it was very |
Ill Wy picture; but it had the merit OF |
II Daiity, and there was a certain vigor |
i'll ~ fiTmness about the lines that gave
III 8acter to the faces of the giant orge |
III RdarinC knight and the imprisoned
III Less
A lie girl, with her head supported in her
Il Ms, eyed the rough drawing with u
mpluous curl of her lip.
II il very bad, | know" she murmured,
II Il. Essie will value it. O, II were only
and could take drawing lessons, and
time to practice composition, perhs 8
III day might produce something that
NJ "a cause the world to give Q. Little
~ e to Helen Gwinett!"
te sighed little despondently, but she
Rd tue drawing in position at the head
~ story she had written out, and made
III p manuscript INTO compact bundle,
W. = no nod a brown nanAr. and
/ Hin the BOTTOM of her lunch-basket
81 ~ after glance at the IRE, to see II
Il ~ 1sperly banked, she undressed aad
Into bed beside her sleeping sister.
rs lore sunrise the next morning, she
= and prepared the simple breakfast,
Hnoon-day lurch for herself and Is